General Chat

Oh good to see you Jane and hope you managed to eat and enjoy the turkey dinner, it sounded lovely we had cold chicken and chips and left over veg.

Frank I hope your back problem is temporary.
Did you enjoy your meal Sunday?

Mandy oh spoil sport. Glad you got your washing dry.

That was a long job to remove all the leaves Gill and another plant still to go.

Evening all,

Nice and dry here and i also hung some washing out and got it dry .

I don't think we will be having a go at cartwheels or the splits :-D :-D so sadly there will be no photos to laugh at :-D :-D

Lovely to see you posting Jane i hope you managed to eat some of that nice dinner you've cooked , i bet Hannah and Gareth were glad of the pie you cooked for them you can't beat nice home cooed food .
Have you any more chemo sessions ?

Ann i can't believe that lady turned the trousers up and she's totally blind ,she must have been so pleased with herself she sounds a very determined lady who will have a go at any thing .
And as for guide dogs ,they do a wonderful job don't they .
Glad OH is feeling a little better today he's done the best thing keeping in the warm today .

AnnG i like The Range but have never been to a Dunelm even though there is one in Norwich .
Good luck tomorrow at the dentist tomorrow .

Gill what a shame your having trouble with your Red Robin plants ,i hope some of them can be saved and will perk up ,you paid a lot of money out for them so i'm sure you don't want to lose them .

Mel i meant to say there was a new lot of Shakespear and Hatherway starting today we like them too
How has the mass bake up gone today ? hope all the things have turned out well for you .

Evening All
Good day again for me :-D I have just done a roast dinner and it is rrady to dish up now.
Hope the Dentist app tomorrow goes ok Ann.
Oh dear Frank ,I hope your back doesnt keep you awake tonight. I think it is good that they do Sunday appointments Frank.At least more patients can be seen.

Must go James id plating up now. Roast Turkey ,Roast Pots, Yorkshires,roast parsnips,carrots and leeks ,sprouts and lashings of gravy :-D :-D. Not sure how much I will eat but I am starving so fingers crossed.

Afternoon all

Sunny and bright here today, I've been like you Vera and managed to peg my washing out, it did come over a bit cloudy so I finished it off on the radiators which only took a few minutes.

Lovely to see you on here Jane, sorry to hear you've had a bad run of it lately but pleased to see you're feeling a little better now. How nice to have H&G nearer to you, what a lovely thought to take the pie round to them. I'm sure you'll have lots of time together now.

I had to laugh at what Lacey said Mandy, yes, I'd love to see a pic when you've mastered the cartwheels and splits lol :-D :-D :-D

I didn't think you could still buy ric rac Ann, yes, Sandra would love the pink wool. How clever are those women who can sew when they can't see what they're doing, it puts me to shame. I can sew to a certain extent but no where near as good as them and what about the dog knowing exactly where to go when she says "Hannah's" it's amazing what guide dogs can do nowadays.

Sorry to hear you've jarred your back Frank, rest up and take care. I hope it eases soon for you. It sounds like Ros is getting on well with making the poppies.

Good luck at the dentist tomorrow AnnG. I hope all goes well for you.

I've been so busy today, this is the first proper sit down I've had all day. I decided to take all the effected leaves off the Red Robin, the worse one, but couldn't quite reach to the top, but I suppose they'll fall off on their own over the next few days. Then I did some hoovering and like I said earlier some washing. I'm now going to have a cuppa and watch a bit of TV before it's time for dinner. I should think I'll sleep well tonight. I have one of those CD's, I got it years ago and think it's the sound of the sea. I'm not sure where it is now, but it was very relaxing at the time and helped me sleep much better.

Afternoon all, Nothing done today, I promised I would go for a walk, but when I put the bins out I Tripped and JARED my back. So have been resting up all day.

I see you have all been busy. MANDY I try to imagine you doing the splits, and my EYES ARE WATERING. lol lol

I phoned Simon and left a message, but he's not been back to me yet, so don't know how they are.

I contacted my Nephew, about my sister. NO CHANGE. Michael the eldest son (my GOD child) is calling in FIVE TIMES A DAY and the CARERS 7 times a day. Paul the youngest,is on holiday for 17days in INDIA. His wife treated him and the family for his 60th Birthday,

Pork chops, with Rice and mixed veg in a bag for tonight, so not a lot to do, and not a lot of washing up.

I had a letter from the hospital this morning. I have an appointment for 20th FEB at 2.00pm which is a SUNDAY. What a silly time and day to go there.

Ros has now knitted over 100 poppies. for the village display in November. There is quite a few woman making them, so should look good when all displayed.

Time for a COT, so BYE for now. love to all. xxxx

That's a good idea to take our own cutlery Mel. It annoys me in some places where you collect your own cutlery that parents let children go and fetch it. You don't know where those little fingers have been and it usually ends up as a scrum with their siblings and rifling through the whole lot of the cutlery. I forgot to say thanks for your tip about the age of the Fimo too!

Yes AnnG, he's best to stay in today and keep his germs away from everyone! He's very doubtful he will manage his meeting tomorrow or Wednesday, but he would sit as far away from the others as he can if he does go. Thank you for mentioning about the sanitiser. I think I will order some as at this rate we need industrial size! lol. :-) Some of those pillow protectors make it really hard to get the pillowcase on don't they AnninG.

I got a few provisions in when I nipped out and then went to the craft place. I was asking about the 2 blind ladies and dog and how did they manage to do crafts and get around so well. Apparently the lady only has to say 'Hannah's' to the dog and he will bring her there and it's the same with other shops! She said she came to be shown how to hem some trousers last week and had already cut the length perfectly, using some other trousers as a guide and had pinned them all up ready, matching the seams together. She said she even managed to do the hemming without the cotton showing through. How brilliant considering she and her friend have been completely blind from birth!! I don't think I will dare say I can't do something again now I've seen these ladies overcome their handicap to do what is easy for us in comparison. I came away with some felting wool in bright pink (Sandra would love it!), some fabric offcuts for my applique, the ric rac braid and some thin braid with tiny hearts on.

Just a thought for a replacement of your Japanese Anemones Vera. Do you like the Lychnis Coronaria? I had those for years and they come in a really bright fuschia pink with silver foliage and I've seen a white variety too. Mine never had any disease, they flower all summer and they aren't invasive.

I'd better get on and sketch out my applique ideas for Wednesday next as the days seem to be flying by.

Good to see you posting again Jane. I’m sorry you’ve had a rough ride this time but pleased you have managed to get out. It will be lovely for you to have H & G close by and I hope they will be very happy in their new home.

Fingers crossed Mel that your clay baking goes well and it all stays in one piece.

Mandy, I could just picture you and your OH practising your cartwheels and splits :-D. I just had to read your post out to OH and he roared with laughter. It’s a great compliment really as Lacey obviously thinks you’re capable of it.

Good luck with your deep clean tomorrow AnninG. I think we are due for our 6 monthly check up this month. The dentist usually sends us a reminder so I’ll wait for that before I make the appointment.

It was beautiful here this morning, sunny and breezy, perfect drying weather. I got 3 loads of washing out on the line and that’s the first time the washing has gone out for weeks. While we were having a bit of lunch the sky came over very black so I decided to get the washing in and I just got the last bit off the line as the heavens opened. It was almost dry so some is finishing off hung on a clothes horse and the rest is having just a few minutes in the tumble dryer.

I think I’ll go and relax in the bath for a while now. I’ll have to be careful not to fall asleep as I’m sitting here yawning non-stop.

Wish we had some sunshine as its raining here now. Had four eggs again today and have just given them some mash before they have their corn later.

Before I forget for those of you who liked Shakespear and Hatherway there is a new series starting today after Doctors. I ususally watch it at night when oh is in bed so I can hear it all without his comments.

Ann have you ever thought of taking your own cutlery when you go out to eat? Just a thought as they have to be put in the places you pick up your knives and forks etc from and you don't know who has breathed on them. It sgopod G is coughing less today so hope he is now on the mend.

Just trying to look for some pendant hangers on Amazon now.

Good afternoon all. A bit grey here but not cold so that is something.

We have just been to Dunelm and the Range at Cheltenham. I wanted to get a couple more pillow protectors as we had the 'soft' ones but they are too thick and make the pillows bulky inside pillow cases. Then also replaced a couple of cooking spoons splash guard and a small knife.And OH got a few bits he wanted for the garden.

Not looking forward to tomorrow, it is my dental appointment, the first of the two for a deep clean I keep trying to put it out of my mind. It is not working.

Annx if by any chance you are trying to find the milton hand sanitizer with little success I have just ordered and had delivered a bottle from Amazon, listed under 'Milton sanitizer new formula'.

Jane Great to see you on here last night and do hope you are still feeling better again today. I think that is what happens with chemo from what I have seen with other people. You have a few bad days and then pick up again. However you said it was an adverse reaction to a medicine you were taking, was this for the chemo or something extra. As long as you get these good days as a 'reward' probably worth the bad days. Anyway hope the good outweighs the bad now. <3 <3 <3

Mandy, when you have had the lessons and learnt them well could we have photos please of the handstands and cartwheels or whatever she teaches you.?
I used to do hand stands until the day I lost my balance and went over and landed with the lower part of my back on the edge of the lawn. It was very painful for a while, I was worried I might have done something permanent, I was about 14.

Annx pleased your OH's cough seems better. Best he stays in the warm then he won't be giving it to other people!! Hope you manage to avoid it. You need one of those masks. Although apparently they are not effective anyway.

Morning All,

Lovely sunshine here today so I might get my car washed.

Yes, it's good you are feeling a bit better Jane and got out of the house for some retail therapy and made 2 chicken pies! :-) I hope you carry on feeling better now.

Mel, it's a learning curve when you try something new isn't it and mistakes are how we learn. Fingers crossed all will be ok in the oven! Yes I used to do handstands against walls and could walk on my hands for a few steps. I used to do cartwheels down the long office sometimes if I was the first in work and had trousers on! Try as I might and practice I could never do a full splits though. Like me my sister had funny joints but she could sit on the floor with her legs straight out in front of her, then move her feet out to point sideways without moving her knees apart so her legs looked like 2 right angles!!

OH had a better night and seems to be coughing less this morning but his back and sides ache from all the coughing yesterday. Did I say that I ended up with my ear plugs in! lol. I've done him poached eggs on toast he fancied as he didn't feel up to going out, which must be a first for him.

Better fetch the papers now and pop in the craft place for some ric rac braid.

Morning all,

Dry here this morning but not very bright.

Hope Janes feeling up to posting again today as its lovely to hear her news and I think she must be feeling a bit better this week as she posted last night.

It must take an awful lot out of you this treatment, We are all thinking of you Jane and wishing you all the love in the world. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Want to do a bit more clay playing today and then have a mass bake up to see if things worked. They may all fall apart and that would be a disarster after all the work I have put into them.

O lovely to see you and know you are ok. Hope Hannah and Gareth are happy in their new place and how far away is it from yours? It'll be nice when the weather turns a bit better and warmer and you can all sit outside and eat as I know you like to do that.

Mandy I roared with laugher till my sides hurt at Lacey saying she was going to teach you cartwheels and the splits. I used to be able to do both in my younger years and handstands to. Did any of you do handstands up the wall at school? We did.

Do children still play " What's the Time Mr. Wolf?"

I have gone off of the program Vera. They all seem to be the same lately. Perhaps when I am desperate for a telly program I will go on catchup and watch them. It may be that they hang things out for so long when you know whats going to happen before it does on the tv. Oh is terrible like that he always knwos who done it in the first few mins of the program.

I have packed all my clay away now but have had a good go this afternoon and into the evening. We hav'nt had anythng to eat tonight so I may have a few biscuits and cheese.

AnnG you asked what we have for our big breakfast. We have bacon, eggs, beans toms, mushrooms a frankfurter and hash browns. Sometimes I do sausages too instead of the furter O and I have naughty fried bread. Oh has taken to having eggs, bacon and furter in rolls and the rest on his plate.

Evening All
Thought I had better touch base as it has been so long.I have not had the greatest couple of weeks mainly due to adverse effects of a medication I was having to take.It made me quite unwell .
Today though I felt well enough to get out on my own and did a bit of retail therapy.
It was so nice just to get out of the house.
Hannah and Gareth are now in their home and have been busy unpacking and trying to get organised.
I made 2 chicken pies today and we took one over to H&G to save them having to cook.I must say it feels strange having them so nearby now.

David funny you should mention that sleep music.For the last 3 nights I have been using that and it works a treat.it is so relaxing and stops the mind working overtime.I love the water sounds .I definitely recommend it to anyone having trouble sleeping.

I am in bed now waiting for Vera after Dancing on Ice.
Talking of Vera When is your Birthday please Vera?
I do hope everyone is getting over feeling all under the weather.There seem to be so many bugs and colds around.

Hope to be back again tomorrow.

Oh Mandy I bet your faces were a picture when she said that!! :-D :-D If she tried to teach me to do those things I'd need an ambulance on standby I think. :-D :-D lol. You should keep a little notebook of the funny things they say!

OH has gone to bed looking the worse for wear so I shall be off soon as well as I still have a bit of a headache.

David I have a CD somewhere of soothing sounds like those. Any slight hum of the thing that plays the music would probably wake me up again though. :-S

For those of you who have difficulty sleeping, or having restful sleep, I share this.

I found on You Tube sound effects of wind, rain, waves, thunder and lightening .

You can fall asleep listening to three, six, eight or ten hours of gentle rain.

I find it helps. Choose the effect and the volume, then sleep.

Evening all,

I'm fine Vera just tired as we had Lacey here for the weekend and i'm always tired out after the girls have been .
I must just tell you all this though and we had a job to keep a straight face as bless her she meant it .
We sat having lunch and we were saying to her how you can learn some thing every day ,the next minute Lacey said " i'm going to teach you both some thing you carn't do " oh whats that i said ......." how to do cartwheels and the splits " she said :-0 :-0 :-D :-D :-D

<3 <3 Love to Jane and i hope Hannah and Gareth's move went ok .

I'll catch up on all the posts tomorrow .

Hallo all

I hope you are all having a good day. I didn't make my six hours sleep last night. I slept from about midnight till 4 am but it was a restless sort of sleep. It was only when I woke properly that I realised I was a bit cold. I threw a cover over the duvet and warmed up but by then I was wide awake so I read for a couple of hours. Suprisingly, I don't feel too bad today, just a bit tired.

Mel, I hope you feel better for your lie-in. It's a shame about your gazebo blocking your view. Is there any way it can be adjusted so you can see a bit more? Thanks for the advice about deep pots for the Jap. Anemones. I have earmarked a couple of large ones and if the plants are not happy there I'll just have to give up on them. I had heard that if you dig them out you are still likely to get shoots coming up for a couple of years and it looks as though Ann found that to be the case. It's strange they are so invasive here. My friend, only half a mile up the road, can't grow them at all. They must just like our particular soil.

You asked for a photo of Ellie when she plays Brutus. I doubt if we will be allowed to take one, unless I can catch her in a corridor or something. These aren't children, they are all over 18, but the powers that be have a notice up saying no photos to be taken.

Gill, that is a shame about your Photinia, particularly as you paid a lot of money for them. I hope you don't lose them but it's not sounding very optimistic is it?

I'm sorry you are having an "off" day as well AnninG and hope you have a better day tomorrow. Perhaps it's this dreary weather getting us all down. It's not even particularly wintry is it, just grey and dreary. I hate February anyway. When I was young I was invariably ill on my birthday. Then both my mother and father died in my birthday week, though many years apart. A favourite aunt died in February and her funeral was the day before my birthday. Sometimes it seems that all the bad times in my life have been in February but hey ho, that's life.

Yes, AnnG, I do touch type and I'm still fairly fast but I do like a proper keyboard. I am not nearly as fast on a laptop or iPad.

I hope you enjoyed your lunch Frank. Our beef brisket was melt-in-the-mouth good but, stupid me, I called OH to cut the meat and was ready to dish up when I found I had forgotten to switch the electric steamer on to cook some of the veg. Luckily I only needed the veg to cook for about 15 minutes so by the time the meat was cut and I had thickened the gravy and dished up the rest of the meal, the veg was ready.

Your poor OH sounds full of the lurgy Ann. You will have to coddle him a bit. NO, I said coddle, not cuddle ;-) Keep your distance, we don't want you going down with it as well.

Mandy hasn't posted for a couple of days. I hope it is because she is busy rather than she is unwell.

Jane <3 <3

I might go and make a cuppa now. I'm gasping and don't think I can wait till OH gets us something to eat which will be between 8 and 9 tonight. Sunday evenings he usually prepares something like a sandwich or cheese and biscuits for us while I am watching Call The Midwife. I hope we all have a good night's sleep tonight.

Just noticed there was another page of posts.

That was a good lay in Mel, I bet you feel better for it now.

Sorry to hear you're not feeling up to par AnnG even after a good nights sleep. I hope you feel better soon.

How was your meal Frank, I hope it was as nice as the last time you went there?

I think the same as you Ann and don't think the neighbour thinks about the smoke getting into our property either. Hope your OH's cough eases soon and you don't catch it off him.

It sounds like your Japanese anemones are taking over Vera, lets hope you can get them under control soon.

I was saying to OH this morning I hope this round of Chemo hasn't made Jane feel worse than last time. Thinking of you Jane <3 <3

I've replied on the other thread AnnG, thanks for your help.

Afternoon All,

Quite sunny here now but it was dull this morning. I slept quite well and till 9.00am and I hope you didn't aim too high Vera and managed your 6 hours!! :-D

OH is coughing every few minutes despite dosing up on cough medicine. lemon drink and cough sweets. I have stayed in the study away from the germs but have a headache from his coughing all day now so have put my earplugs in as I jump every time I hear him.. :-D That made him smile and say 'now I know you are slinging a deaf ear'. He's fed and watered and sitting in the warm watching telly which is the best place for him just now Yes his meetings mean he is among lots of germs AnnG, but he uses hand gel and washes his hands before he comes home which must help.

It's good you enjoyed the Monologues Vera and well done to your granddaughter in getting the part of Brutus. Glad you have started to feel a bit better too. The Japanese Anemones I used to have became invasive after a few years too. When we made our herbaceous borders into mostly shrub borders I tried to dig them up but couldn't reach all the roots. Some still popped up for a few years after. They are lovely though and quite trouble free.

It's a shame your gazebo has blocked your view Mel. If you raised the hot tub a bit would it help? I want to look at some craft stuff next too. Ted's half knitted sleeve beckons but I need to decide what sort of picture I want to applique next week and see if I have any scraps of material that are suitable to use.

I hope you enjoy the carvery Frank. Have you heard anything from your last meal complaint yet? I meant to ask how Simon and Sally are now since their operations.

Yes I wondered if this round of chemo had been tougher for Jane. I know nothing about chemo or whether your dose gets increased or not. I hope she has started to feel better now and will soon be letting us know. . <3

Gill I don't think neighbours even think about the effect of their smoke on anyone else. Ours never had the smoke in their own garden as it always blew at an angle straight over our fence to us and our washing and open windows! We don't have barbecues ourselves, as I think it is easier to cook things properly indoors and then take them outside to eat, so they weren't getting revenge! lol. I did used to enjoy the fires me and a friend made as children when we would toast things on sticks and eat them! :-) I seem to remember there was a flour and water thing we dipped the sticks in, then re-dipped after toasting several times till they were big enough to eat. It sounds pretty revolting now!

Just thought........how about a close up of a feather for texture AnnG?